What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Dimethyl Mea
BufferingAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Tyrosine
MaskingGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCopper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract
Skin ProtectingCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCeteareth-20
CleansingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Phosphatidylcholine, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Dimethyl Mea, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Tyrosine, Glycolic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Copper Gluconate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinyl Palmitate, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Copper Tripeptide-1, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Ceteareth-20, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylyl Glycol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Polysorbate 20, Zea Mays Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Euterpe Oleracea Sterols
Skin ConditioningLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Isoamyl Cocoate
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningWater, Squalane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isoamyl Laurate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Ceramide NP, Jojoba Esters, Sodium Hyaluronate, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Ethyl Linoleate, Tocopherol, Isoamyl Cocoate, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Gluconate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
